WOPE Ch 7

Even though people still often look for air conditioning during the day in September, when summer is said to be all but gone, by the time October arrives, the heat has completely subsided, and a cool breeze begins to blow even during the day. The season for indoor sports has returned.

The Seoul HG Big Whales were also in the midst of preparing to welcome their fans, having finished renovating their home stadium. For the opening game, which needed to draw attention, a match was set against their rivals, the Incheon Hyowon Winners. To be honest, in terms of basketball performance, the Big Whales were far behind the Winners, but because their parent companies were of similar size, they were always referred to as rivals, following the trend in baseball and soccer. It didn’t hurt that the owner families of both companies had a considerable interest in sports and were often in the news, which further highlighted the rivalry.

“Ah, it’s different this time. Didn’t you see the media day? Everyone is picking our team as a championship contender, you know?”

In a corner of the court where game preparations were in full swing, the general manager was chatting loudly with a reporter he was close with. What the general manager said was true. At the opening media day held a few days prior, more than half of the head coaches had predicted the HG Big Whales would win the championship. They had scouted their foreign players exceptionally well, and as a result, the consensus was that their team strength was the best. The club couldn’t help but feel excited internally. The prevailing opinion was that a spot in the playoffs was a sure thing.

“Come on, you know that evaluation all depends on what that player over there, Lee Hooyoung, does. You know the basketball reporters are all saying the same thing these days, right? If Lee Hooyoung goes crazy, the Big Whales are guaranteed to go all the way to the championship game.”

This kind of talk always stuck right in his ear. Hooyoung pretended not to hear and continued to shoot the ball.

“Ah, our Bbi-bbi’s step-up is the real deal. As long as he doesn’t get injured, he’s going to hit a career high this time.”

“Wow, General Manager! If a second-year, first-pick player doesn’t hit a career high this time, that would be the strange thing.”

“Ah, Reporter Park, are you going to keep raining on my parade?”

The reporter was absolutely correct. If a second-year, first-pick player didn’t hit a career high this season, that would be the strange thing. Right, that was the correct answer. Hooyoung mulled over the reporter’s words as he jumped up from outside the three-point line. The ball swished cleanly through the rim. He had been counting down the days until the season opener, but now that it was here, he felt calm. He had been so nervous until last night. Junwook’s contribution had been significant.

—Are you nervous?

“A little, no, a lot, no no, just a bit, no, quite a lot.”

As Hooyoung rambled on the phone, Junwook giggled like he always did and teased him, telling him to come over secretly, asking if having sex once wouldn’t release the tension and make him fall right asleep. Hooyoung had said it was really, truly not possible today, but a part of his heart felt a wicked thought, wondering if he should give in to that illogical persuasion. It was true that after spending a night with Junwook, he would sleep like the dead. The only problem was that his condition the next day might be unpredictable.

Hooyoung jumped up again. This time too, the shot went in cleanly. It seemed his touch was good today. Hojin, who was shooting next to him, made an “Oh” shape with his mouth and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Bbi-bbi’s shooting touch is insane. You’re going to cause a scene starting from the opening game.”

“I think it’s pretty good myself.”

Hooyoung, playing along with Hojin’s joke, widened his eyes and held up his own two hands. The rookie draft hadn’t happened yet, so Hojin and Hooyoung were still the youngest on the team. As the two of them giggled, their seniors, saying they still had a long way to go, were busy hitting them on the shoulder one by one as they passed by.

“Bbi-bbi!”

Taehun, who had just finished stretching near the basket, picked up a loose ball and called out as he threw it to Hooyoung.

“Yes, hyung!”

The ball flying towards his face was full of force, but not so much that he couldn’t catch it. Hooyoung caught it lightly and replied with an even lighter heart. On a day like today, when his shooting touch was this good, he could face anything with a positive attitude.

“Let’s do well, okay?”

“Yes, hyung!”

He might seem a bit clueless and cocky, but he just ended up smiling and replying. Today was the opening day. He wanted to do his absolute best without worrying about anything.

Over the weekend he had stayed at Junwook’s house after returning from training camp, a lot had happened, in a way. Junwook might not think so, but for him, it had. He couldn’t easily answer the question about whether he wanted his debt paid off. Of course, his heart wanted to refuse immediately, but the words wouldn’t come out right away. It wasn’t because he coveted the money, but because he didn’t want to get caught revealing that while the other person wanted a relationship mediated by money, he did not. It was a matter of pride.

He had to protect his pride, but he didn’t want to get on his bad side either, so as he was hesitating, Junwook spoke first again, as if he had read his mind without fail.

“You don’t like talking about this, do you.”

He only nodded his head.

“Ah, so you want me to just take care of everything without saying a word?”

“No! That’s not it!”

He was so startled he nearly jumped over the dining table, but seeing the smiling face in front of him, he realized a beat too late that Junwook’s words were a joke. For a moment, he almost flared up like a frog hit by a stone, wondering how someone could joke about something like this, but seeing him smile, his heart melted away again, and he just kept putting the innocent bulgogi into his mouth.

While eating dinner, and even after, Hooyoung remained strangely intimidated. It wasn’t as if he had gone into detail about his sordid past—why he had accrued the debt, what efforts he had made to pay it back, and how he had received a lot of support to play basketball in the meantime—but he found it hard to look at Junwook’s face. He started avoiding his eyes and only gave short answers to his questions. He was seriously contemplating just running away to the dorm right then and there when his ankle was caught. Literally, his ankle was grabbed in a firm grip.

“You’re plotting your escape right now.”

While eating the fruit and snacks on the sofa table, all he did was glance at the front door a few times secretly, very secretly, so how did he get caught? It was hard to stop the large body that was holding his ankle and slowly moving up.

“……No, I don’t think so.”

“I think you are.”

He was held tightly from behind, unable to move a muscle. He was a master of a high-level technique. He cornered him to the very edge of the sofa, as if he were about to fall off, and didn’t release his restrained body until he stood up. Ah, hadn’t there been another time he had ended up in bed like this? Why can’t I ever walk to the bed on my own two feet?

“You came back after being in Hawaii for over ten days, and you’re going to leave after just doing it once? Does Hooyoung want to see a holy relic form inside my body?”

“That’s not it.”

“What is it with you always saying that’s not it. What is it, then.”

Hey, why are you whispering in my ear? As they walked across the floor, the soles of his feet were so ticklish that Hooyoung couldn’t walk properly. The inside of his ear, where the breath entered, was ticklish, his earlobe, which the tongue brushed against every so often, was ticklish, and his heart was ticklish too.

“Are you going to go? Not have sex?”

“……I’ll do it.”

It wasn’t his fault that his words kept getting shorter. It was the fault of the person who made it impossible to speak at length.

“You don’t want to see my face?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s because I’m embarrassed……”

Because I’m embarrassed of my debt in front of you. Because I don’t want to show it. Because I want to hide it.

“Then make a choice.”

Hey, why do you like making people choose so much? It was so hard on the day he had to pick the training camp location. That day, Hooyoung had literally agonized until his hair was falling out before shutting his eyes tight and choosing the place that would be more helpful for his basketball. Well… it had been an excellent choice, though.

“Thinking of the embarrassed Hooyoung, have gentle sex the whole time.”

Hooyoung raised his hand to scratch his ticklish chest but was caught by Junwook’s restraining hand and quickly lowered it. He heard a deep laugh near his ear.

“Thinking a lot about the embarrassed Hooyoung, have naughty sex from behind.”

His butt was grabbed firmly. In this house, his butt had never once felt like his own. Thinking it was a real choice like at the training camp, he was seriously contemplating which would be better when he realized the answer was already decided as he was slowly pushed down onto the bed, face-first. Hmm, naughty from behind… I like this too. It’s not bad. It’s okay.

“You’re probably wrong.”

“What?”

Just as he felt goosebumps on his back from the sensation of his underwear band being gently pulled down, Hooyoung turned his head, surprised by Junwook’s words. Oh my, he’s finally looking at me. Their eyes met. It was strange. The feeling of embarrassment that had continued since dinner had suddenly vanished completely.

“I’m going to do both.”

He really did do both. All night long. Until his body, being rubbed and pressed, became embarrassing and shameful, not the debt. Until he had completely forgotten all about things like debt.

“Hooyoung-ah.”

At dawn that day, when his exhausted body felt extremely satisfied, just as Hooyoung was about to drift off to sleep, a low, gentle voice woke him from behind.

“……Yes.”

Junwook kept touching his armpit, saying it was fine since he had just gotten out of the shower. He didn’t even have the strength to tell him to stop. He earnestly hoped in his mind that he wouldn’t start sweating.

“How about something like this instead.”

“……What is it.”

“Something like a wish.”

A wish… Wasn’t the wish my grandmother made, dragging her unwell body to a temple before the draft to pray for a high pick? In middle and high school, the wish was my grandfather praying every night with a bowl of water, asking for our Hooyoung to please not get hurt. Whoever he prayed to, that being granted the wish both times. He was picked first, and he never got seriously injured during his school days when he absolutely couldn’t get hurt because he had no money for rehabilitation.

“One wish if you hit a career high. One wish if you win the championship. Something like that.”

“Ah……”

It was strange. He didn’t like talking about his debt, but that sounded okay. Was it because he wasn’t offering it as payment for having sex with him, but said he would grant it if he played basketball well? He should have said it was okay, or that he didn’t want it, but his lips wouldn’t move. He wasn’t going to ask him to pay off his debt even if he won the championship, so he just kept his mouth shut and quietly fell asleep. …No, this doesn’t feel like a sponsorship, he thought.

“Bbi-bbi! Get ready to stretch!”

A senior player slapped Hooyoung on the back and pushed him towards the basket. Lost in thought, Hooyoung belatedly snapped to his senses and ran, startled, to the trainer. Looking around, he saw that the spectators were finally starting to enter. Hoo. Hooyoung took a very deep breath and let it out. He needed to quickly erase the thoughts of Junwook. If he kept thinking like this, it would be a big problem if he came to mind while playing basketball. It was at that moment. The general manager, who was sitting nearby, answered a phone call and then shot up, flustered.

“Oh, oh, I have to go. Reporter Park! I’ll call you tomorrow! Write a good article for me. Please!”

“Ah, General Manager! I still have a lot more to ask!”

The reporter, who had been busy writing something down, grabbed the general manager’s coattails, bewildered, but the general manager’s face was pale as a sheet, as if he were being chased by a ghost.

“I can’t! Oh my, our VVIPs are all coming! They said they’re all coming!”

“VVIPs? What, is the owner coming or something?”

“Yes, yes, the owner and the owner’s older brothers, all of them are coming! I’m going!”

The general manager’s voice was too piercing for him to pretend he hadn’t heard. Ah, so he’s that busy because the VVIP, the owner, is coming. Hmm, the owner is coming? Ah, the owner. Our owner is… Eun Junwook.

“Ah!”

“Hey, Bbi-bbi! Are you not putting strength into your core?”

Hooyoung, who was stretching, faltered and tumbled over with a clatter. Some fans in school uniforms who had come in early saw Hooyoung and burst out laughing, saying he was cute.

Around the time Hooyoung was rolling around on the basketball court in shock, Junwook was heading to the stadium with his brothers. It was by no means intentional. He had spoken to Hooyoung on the phone last night, so he was naturally aware that today was the opening game, but watching it in person was not in his plans. He had thought he would watch it on TV if he had time, or if not, just check the results and Hooyoung’s stats after the game.

“This is completely a for-show management style. Why are we doing something like this already?”

“Today isn’t work, it’s about family harmony.”

Junwook’s eldest brother and the recently appointed chairman of HG Group, Eun Sungwook, retorted. There was a significant age gap between him and Junwook, well over a full zodiac cycle. If his middle brother was like a friend who gave him a lot of advice, his eldest brother was a bit strict but had a tendency to be unconditionally indulgent deep down. He had to be seen as a father-like older brother.

“Ah, then the eldest hyung and middle hyung can just go, why drag me along. I’m busy.”

“Hey, Director Eun. Aren’t you the head of the sports division?”

His middle brother, unable to watch any longer, glared at him and said something, which made Junwook shut his mouth. His deeply furrowed brow was full of dissatisfaction. It was the first time the brothers were going to a public place side by side. A sponsors’ night was a gathering of the usual people and an event that wouldn’t be covered in the news, but a sports game, and the opening game at that, was on a different level. It was obvious it would be crawling with everyone from the general public to reporters there for coverage.

“Whose idea was this? Watching a sports game for our first media appearance? This isn’t pure family harmony.”

Young brothers who inherited the company, showing up in casual clothes and passionately watching a sports game… It was a perfect piece of storytelling, indeed. If only it weren’t for the one thing bothering Junwook.

“It was an idea from our secretarial office with a spoonful of support from your eldest sister-in-law, who was thinking of you, you punk.”

As Junwook turned his head and stared out the window, Chairman Eun tapped his thigh with his fist and said.

“We needed to do some media exposure, but since we’re on the younger side, let’s not go too old-school like other companies, all dressed up in suits and holding glasses, flocking together. But then, wearing baseball jackets and throwing the first pitch, other places have already done that, and it feels like we’re just copying them. Besides, the baseball season is still a long way off. So while we were wondering what would be good, your sister-in-law said, ‘Since our youngest brother-in-law is so interested in the basketball team lately, why don’t you all just go watch a basketball game together on opening day!’ And that’s how this happened. All for your sake.”

“……The only one who thinks of me is my eldest sister-in-law. But, what do you mean I only care about the basketball team. I care about all the teams in the sports division equally. I treat them all the same, so what are you talking about.”

Junwook, feeling a pang of guilt, glared at Soohwan, who was driving. Soohwan, who had been chosen as the driver for the day because he was the youngest among the brothers’ secretarial staff, just kept driving with a face that said he had no idea what was going on.

“You’ve liked basketball since you were young. Even in the US, you followed the NBA more than the MLB. Isn’t it something like that?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. That’s right. I like basketball.”

At the sudden change in attitude, Soohwan bit his lip hard while driving. In any case, Junwook could not avoid the basketball arena today. He was stuck having to watch Hooyoung’s game in person.

…That kid is going to have a fit. I didn’t want to be a distraction, but it seemed I was unintentionally going to cause him to be nervous, so Junwook’s mind was not at ease at all.

From Junwook’s perspective, it was only natural to think that way. It was like that at the sponsors’ night where they first met, and in front of him, Hooyoung was always a bundle of nerves. And even if it wasn’t him specifically, the fact that the owner and the chairman of the parent company were watching was a factor that would be plenty uncomfortable for a rookie player like Hooyoung who hadn’t debuted that long ago. He had planned to go see a game at some point, but it wasn’t supposed to be today. He hadn’t intended to startle him from the very first day. But it wasn’t as if he could cancel a schedule that the chairman’s secretarial office had already calculated and planned just because of his own stubbornness.

When the brothers entered ten minutes before the start of the game, the entire stadium buzzed as expected. The cameras immediately focused on them in order, starting from the chairman and ending with Junwook, and the announcer, who had just started the broadcast, began to speak faster.

A section near the court, hastily prepared by the general manager, was completely empty. It was right in front of the court. The brothers sat side by side in the very front, and behind them sat their secretarial staff and other officials. The basketball team’s general manager, who came over and bowed his head in greeting, was in the middle of deliberating when Junwook gestured for him to sit next to the chairman. He had Soohwan sit next to him. It seemed that would be more comfortable for both him and the general manager.

“Humanly speaking, isn’t this a bit over the top?”

“Hey, youngest. I told you, it’s the young executive setting. Are you going to keep finding fault? Which NBA owner sits and watches from a box seat way up there? They sit in the front row with their legs crossed, talking with the general manager. Jay-Z is next to them, and next to him is Jack Nicholson, huh?”

Ah, how embarrassing. At his middle brother’s words, Junwook covered his face with one hand and ducked his head low. He was worried someone might have heard.

“……It’s a good thing the kids didn’t come today. I see why hyung-soo doesn’t want to show the kids in public yet. Their dad is so immature.”

As Junwook shook his head with a fed-up look, the announcer broadcasted for everyone to stand for the pledge of allegiance. Everyone stood up in a rush, and in tune with that, the sound of reporters’ camera shutters grew louder. It was the opening day, and perhaps the HG Group’s public relations office had sent out a notice in advance, because the press section was completely packed.

And the moment Junwook placed his hand on his left chest, the moment a melody familiar to every citizen of our country began to play, his eyes met Hooyoung’s. Even without deliberately trying to find him, Hooyoung was standing at the very front of the line of players, directly facing Junwook. Of all the places.

Tsk. Junwook clicked his tongue very quietly. He’s completely tense. He could clearly see that Hooyoung’s face had turned pale. He saw it all: their eyes meeting with a startled expression, then his gaze darting away to the national flag. But right now was a time when he couldn’t do anything to ease his tension. It was a time when he couldn’t help even if he wanted to, a time when Hooyoung had to handle it all on his own.

Five minutes before the start of the game, after the pledge of allegiance, the player introductions began. After a brief introduction of the away team, the stadium lights went out and brilliant spotlights turned on. Music that pounded in the ears began to play, and the players of the home team, the HG Big Whales, appeared one by one, accompanied by the announcer’s energetic voice.

“Gosh, Director. Please relax your face.”

He was staring intently at Hooyoung, who was called out as part of the starting five and ran onto the court, when Soohwan whispered in his ear from the side.

“What if he messes up?”

“Then the owner can just send some nourishing food to the team to cheer them up.”

“Ah?”

Junwook looked at Soohwan with a face that said it was fine. If by some chance they lost today, he would call him over at night, pat his butt, just give him a whole box of wild ginseng tea to take with him, and hold him all night. And he’d have to send some eel or something to the team. In the owner’s name.

And this complacent thought of Junwook’s, this thought that regarded Hooyoung as a cute and adorable being in his arms, was completely overturned the moment the game began.

The game started with a jump ball between the two teams’ foreign players. The person who caught the ball as it came over was the Big Whales’ point guard, Hooyoung.

“One! One!”

Hooyoung, who signaled a play pattern with his index finger, began to drive the ball and penetrate the opponent’s territory. He was the smallest among the players on the court, but he was the fastest. His straight black hair couldn’t keep up with his speed and flew back, revealing his forehead. Ohh—. A similar sound of admiration flowed from his middle brother next to him and from the spectators in the stadium. Following Hooyoung’s quick breakthrough, the foreign player who received the assist scored the first points with a cool dunk. It was the Big Whales’ first score of the season.

“……Wow, he’s no joke.”

Soohwan, who had exclaimed in pure admiration with his mouth open, whispered quietly, but no words came from Junwook beside him. Glancing over, he saw that he was completely focused. It seemed he was in a state where he wouldn’t hear anything anyone said. And just as Soohwan was about to close his mouth and focus on the game again, someone in the second-floor seats on the opposite side caught his eye. Everyone was seated, but since this person was just coming in, it was impossible not to notice. Soohwan glanced at Junwook one more time before focusing on the game again.

Hooyoung was practically flying. He was exactly the player the club and the general manager had hoped for, the head coach and his teammates had hoped for, and the fans had hoped for. He ran around nonstop, calling out patterns and dishing out assists. When he was blocked or things got tangled up in the defense, he resolved it himself.

“Three-pointer! Lee Hooyoung!”

The in-house announcer’s excited voice echoed through the stadium. The high-level play sent the stadium into a frenzy of excitement. With every timeout, the cheerleaders’ encouragement grew louder, and the voices of the spectators became even louder.

“That player is that player, right.”

When the first quarter ended, his middle brother leaned over and asked Junwook.

“The one who was with the general manager at that event.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“His image is completely different from when we met him. He’s good.”

He is. Junwook couldn’t properly finish his sentence. As his brother said, he was truly different. He regretted not having properly looked up videos of Hooyoung playing basketball until now.

He had heard he was good, but he hadn’t imagined such an explosive performance. To exaggerate, every time Hooyoung got the ball, the air in the stadium changed. Even when two players who were at least 10cm, 20cm taller than him surrounded him to block him, even when a foreign player blocked him, he broke through and moved forward, and although he had heard he was the youngest, he was also superbly fulfilling his role as a point guard, shouting instructions to the other four players. It was a new side of him.

But the opening game was still the opening game. The opposing team, the Hyowon Winners, was a strong team that had consistently made it to the final four for several years, and the opening game was a battle of pride, plus it was the first button on the season’s farming, so it was natural they wanted to win. The game proceeded like a seesaw, never quite tilting to one team. When the second quarter ended and it was halftime, the score was 41:40, with the Big Whales ahead by only one point.

“Chairman, if you are planning to leave, it is better to leave now than after the third quarter ends.”

From behind, the man known as Chief Secretary Wang whispered to Chairman Eun. If there was a guarantee of victory, staying until the end would look good, but if they were to lose, it would admittedly become a bit awkward. But waiting until the third quarter to leave was also problematic, as the break between the third and fourth quarters was only about a minute long. If they all left in a rush during that short time, they would just get criticized, making their effort of coming all the way here in casual clothes pointless.

“Will we win?”

Chairman Eun posed this question specifically to Junwook. Junwook, however, was busy watching the back of Hooyoung as he entered the locker room.

“Huh?”

“Ah, I’m asking if you think we’ll win. Your basketball team that you even sent to Hawaii for a training camp.”

Next to the chairman, the general manager was laughing a very uncomfortable “ha ha ha.”

“Why is it ‘your’ basketball team? It’s ‘our’ basketball team. So what if we lose? They’re playing well. Let’s just watch until the end and coolly give them a bonus. Coolly giving a bonus even if they lose is the kind of young image people are into these days. If we win, we can just give them double.”

“Really? Is that the image these days?”

Soohwan pretended not to know and scratched under his chin. Well, he was persuaded one way or another, which was a relief. Thanks to that, Junwook could stay in his seat and continue to watch the game in the second half.

“Bbi-bbi!”

The foreign player near the section where Junwook was sitting called out for Hooyoung very eagerly. But because he said ‘Bbi-bbi,’ it made people burst into laughter. It was funny because the foreigner pronounced ‘Bbi-bbi’ so perfectly, and also because Hooyoung gave him an assist with a completely straight, nonchalant face. In the third quarter, as his stamina began to drop and something wasn’t working out, he must have tugged at his hair, because one side of Hooyoung’s hair was sticking straight up.

The game was still a back-and-forth battle until the end of the third quarter. 62:64. A score that was fun for a neutral observer, but maddening for a fan of one of the teams. Junwook was still staring intently only at Hooyoung. Hooyoung, who had gone to the bench at the end of the third quarter to conserve his energy, sat there watching the game, constantly clutching his sweat-soaked hair, and by the start of the fourth quarter, he had managed to make both sides stick up fluffily.

Bbi-bbi. It was a cute nickname that suited him, but today, it wasn’t cute at all. Today, there was nothing cute about him; he was sexy. He had only thought he was sexy when he was stripped bare. The sight of him playing basketball was making people’s blood boil. His heart felt strange.

Clutch. In sports, a clutch situation refers to a very important moment when the game’s situation can be turned around. Basketball, where a point can be scored in even 0.1 seconds, was a sport where these clutch situations occurred frequently. The opening game between the HG Big Whales and the Hyowon Winners was also reaching its peak, heading for a clutch moment. For nearly nine of the ten minutes in the fourth quarter, the two teams traded points, bringing the score to 78:79. It was a game that had everyone on the edge of their seats.

Even those who had been chatting intermittently were now all focused solely on the game. Junwook, too, was clenching his fists tightly as tension washed over him. Hooyoung now looked clearly exhausted. He probably had the longest playing time of any player today. So far, he had 13 points and 8 assists. With just two more assists, he would have a double-double, a perfect record for a point guard.

Ah—. A sigh swept through the stadium. A layup shot Hooyoung made after driving under the basket was blocked by the opposing team’s foreign player. The score was still 78:79. The remaining time was 59 seconds.

“Player substitution. Number 8, Lee Taehun!”

The Big Whales played their last card. Taehun, who had been called to the bench with four fouls, was put back in for the final clutch situation. At the announcer’s shout, the audience clapped their thundersticks hard, cheering for Taehun. Taehun had recorded 15 points and 3 rebounds today.

Right after Taehun was put in, shouts of “Wow!” and sighs of “Ah……” alternated. The ball changed hands so quickly that it was hard to follow who was doing what, as the foreign players from both teams each scored a goal.

The score was 80:82. The remaining time was 12 seconds. And the team with possession was the HG Big Whales, who were down by 2 points.

Hooyoung got the ball. He had to use all the time, and it was a game where scoring 2 points would lead to overtime, and scoring 3 points would win it. The eyes of everyone in the stadium followed Hooyoung. Hooyoung ran at maximum speed, dribbling the ball, passed it to a teammate, and got it back.

The remaining time was 6 seconds. The opposing team was playing man-to-man defense, and there were no openings. The foreign player moved diligently, trying to create space.

“Bbi-bbi! Bbi-bbi!”

The remaining time was 3 seconds. At the sound of someone desperately calling for Hooyoung, the reaction of the people in the stadium was split exactly in half. Half looked at Hooyoung, who held the ball, and half looked at Taehun, who had desperately called for him. Thanks to the foreign player’s movement, Taehun finally had an open chance.

The remaining time was 2 seconds. That fleeting moment belonged entirely to Hooyoung. The time for the point guard holding the ball. To find the best offensive route, to make the best choice.

“Bbi-bbi!”

Simultaneously with Taehun’s shout calling for Hooyoung once more, the ball soared from very far away. Hooyoung did not pass to Taehun but jumped up from where he stood, far beyond the 3-point line. Everyone stood up. Chairman Eun, Junwook, and even the audience, all stood up, held their breath, and followed only that ball with their eyes.

Waaaah, waaaaah—! The stadium was engulfed in cheers. The sound of the buzzer was buried in the roar.

It was a perfect buzzer-beater.

Chairman Eun’s fist shot up powerfully, and his middle brother raised both hands and clapped like a seal. Soohwan was also throwing uppercuts wildly next to him, and even the officials behind them were hugging each other in a frenzy.

And Junwook was looking into Hooyoung’s eyes. Hooyoung, after making the shot, immediately looked at Junwook and smiled brightly. He was looking directly at Junwook and smiling. Soaked in sweat from head to toe, he was showing all his teeth, his eyes crinkling into a bright smile. As if he were a person without a single care or worry in the world, just completely happy.

Junwook, as if struck by lightning, couldn’t move an inch from his spot.

With Hooyoung’s thrilling buzzer-beater, the opening game ended in a victory for the HG Big Whales. The players exited the court to a standing ovation from the audience.

“Lee Bbi-bbi, are you crazy?!”

“Isn’t this kid a real lunatic? How could you sink a deep three from there?”

“My heart dropped when you just went up from there, you punk.”

As soon as they entered the hallway leading to the locker room, the seniors started pounding Hooyoung’s back and messing up his wet hair. Even though they had all gone wild together right after the buzzer-beater, the afterglow seemed to linger.

“What were you thinking? Huh?”

Due to the fierce game, Hojin hadn’t played a single minute today, but he didn’t seem to care and looked incredibly happy, basking in the victory. Anyone watching would have mistaken him for the hero of the buzzer-beater, he was beaming so much as he asked in a loud voice. He kept pushing Hooyoung, saying, “Crazy bastard, you’re crazy!” making Hooyoung sway like a wobbly inflatable tube man.

“My shooting touch was good today. So I just threw it. I thought it would go in.”

Hooyoung glanced at Taehun, who was walking ahead of him. Even right after the shot went in, and even after entering the hallway, Taehun hadn’t said much and had given everyone the usual high-fives. Sports is a game that ends if you win, no matter how. Even though Taehun was his senior, and even though he had played well today and deserved to receive the assist at that moment, in the end, if they won, it was natural to rejoice in the victory.

In that moment, he didn’t think about Taehun’s feelings. He wanted to resolve it with his own hands and show what he could do. He knew Junwook was watching him from the moment he arrived and had been conscious of it throughout the game. Being conscious of it made him concentrate better. The desire to do well was burning brightly. The moment things went as he had intended, the moment the shot from a long distance went straight into the rim, there was only one person who came to mind. He wanted to confirm with his own eyes that he was watching him.

Hehe. A smile slowly spread across Hooyoung’s face again.

“You like that buzzer-beater that much?”

“That’s not why I was smiling.”

“Yes it is. It totally is.”

Pushed by Hojin, who had energy to spare, Hooyoung practically crashed into the wall as he entered the locker room. He could see that everyone was excited about the dramatic opening game victory. When Hooyoung came in, everyone clapped and whistled for him.

“The head coach is coming.”

As everyone was taking off their shoes and clothes, the coach came and announced it. After a game, the head coach would usually come in for a review, saying things like what was good today, and let’s prepare for the next game like this. Hooyoung was untying his basketball shoelaces and rotating his ankle.

“Oh, the owner is coming too?”

Startled in a different way from the players who had already taken off their basketball shoes and uniform tops, Hooyoung looked up in surprise. Along with the beaming head coach, Junwook was coming in behind him.

“Shall we all stand up for a moment?”

Before the head coach could finish his words, the players who had been taking off their basketball shoes shoved their feet back in and shot up. The players who had taken off their tops tried to put the wet clothes back on, but Junwook gestured with his hand to stop them, telling them not to. As he did, his eyes met Hooyoung’s. It might have been his imagination, but at the slight upward curve of his lips, Hooyoung’s heart began to pound just like it had when he shot the final shot. Ah, I want to open my phone quickly. I want to call him. I want to contact him separately. I don’t want to be with everyone like this, I want to be just the two of us.

“Uh, our HG Sports Division’s CEO, Owner Eun Junwook, came to cheer for us today with the Chairman.”

The head coach introduced Junwook to the players in a very awkward tone.

“Hello, I am Eun Junwook. My first greeting is late.”

What is this. Hooyoung, who had been standing still, tightly gripped his uniform pants with his dangling hand. He was at a similar eye level to the basketball players, and his way of speaking, with a serious voice and a gentle tone, was so cool. Perhaps because it was a quality rarely seen in the athletes around him, including himself, he was more nervous than usual and found it hard to look at his face properly.

“The Chairman was going to come as well, but unfortunately, he had another schedule and had to leave first. He left a message for me, saying that today’s game was truly moving and that he looks forward to and will be watching this season.”

As soon as Junwook finished speaking, a person who had been watching from outside the open door, dressed in a suit, approached and handed him an envelope. It was clearly an envelope of money.

“This is.”

Junwook held up the envelope slightly and smiled. Hooyoung’s fist, clutching his pants, tightened a little more.

“Not from the Chairman, but a hefty bonus from me, the owner.”

At the joking words, everyone from the head coach to the general manager laughed, and the players, seeming a bit more relaxed, joined in quietly. At the general manager’s gesture, the basketball team’s captain stepped forward and received the envelope from Junwook. The sound of camera shutters could be heard from the reporters who had come with them from outside the door. All the players had the same thought, that this was how those awkward shots that always appeared in articles were taken.

Junwook shook hands with the captain and then began to walk around the locker room with the general manager. It seemed he intended to greet each and every member of the team. Hooyoung was somewhere in the middle. “Nice to meet you.”, “I enjoyed watching today.”, “You were really amazing.”, “I’m counting on you this season.” Junwook, who was greeting the players with non-repeating pleasantries, was getting closer and closer. Hooyoung’s lips were in a frenzy, pursing and then relaxing in his nervousness. What would he say to me? Ah, I’m so nervous.

“This is player Lee Hooyoung.”

“I know, player Lee Hooyoung. We met recently, didn’t we?”

There was a hint of playfulness on Junwook’s face as he emphasized the words ‘recently.’ The general manager would be thinking of the sponsors’ night, but for the two of them, ‘recently’ was literally just a short while ago. Just a few days ago, they had met and had sex at Junwook’s house behind the dorm. The people here couldn’t possibly imagine, right?

“I said let’s not cause any trouble back then, remember?”

Junwook’s hand approached. Hooyoung wiped his hands on his pants and then took that hand, nodding his head.

“Yes.”

His heart had sunk, wondering what kind of trouble he meant. How could he not remember? Junwook’s hand squeezed his firmly. It was a pressure Hooyoung could feel completely.

“It was something I said because it’s my first time with the sports division, and player Lee Hooyoung is also a rookie, so let’s do well together, but……”

As Junwook’s fingertips were leaving after the handshake, they tickled the inside of Hooyoung’s palm. Hooyoung’s shoulders automatically flinched very slightly, and Junwook, seeing it, smiled faintly.

“Watching you today, you were so cool. I was incredibly surprised at the end. General Manager, the envelope got thicker than what I had originally prepared because of player Hooyoung.”

“Oh my, our Bbi-bbi, no, player Lee Hooyoung will be stepping up as our team’s ace completely starting this season. You can really look forward to it.”

Hooyoung couldn’t hear a single word the general manager and head coach were saying to Junwook next to him. He was too busy savoring the tickling sensation inside his palm. It was tingly and sent a slight jolt below his navel.

After finishing the individual greetings, Junwook greeted everyone once more and then left with the general manager. Hooyoung, still slightly dazed, watched Junwook’s back until he was gone and then plopped down in his spot. He hadn’t been this drained until the game ended, but after seeing Junwook, it felt like all the strength was leaving his body even more.

“Alright, let’s hurry up and shower and get out of here.”

The captain hyung clapped his hands and said. Hooyoung, who had to shower last anyway, took off his basketball shoes, put them in his bag, and then looked for his phone first. He probably didn’t have a chance to contact him, but you never know. Or if not, he could just contact him first.

As soon as the screen turned on, a red notification showing a new message appeared, and Hooyoung’s lips twitched with pleasure. But it didn’t last for more than a few seconds. It wasn’t from Junwook, whom he had been waiting for, but from someone else.

[I came to watch today~]

[Wow, Lee Hooyoung has really grown up. Why are you so good?ㅋㅋ Anyway, I’ve become an expert from watching basketball because of you ㅋㅋ I can see who’s good and who’s bad. Fucking amazing, for real ㅋㅋㅋ]

It was the loan shark. Why did he come here? Checking if he was doing well and paying attention to whether his performance was consistently good were very important factors in whether he could collect the debt or not. So he knew that he sometimes watched basketball or looked up articles, but this was the first time he had come to the basketball arena like this.

[I’ll be waiting, so contact me when you’re done ㅋㅋㅋ]

What does he mean he came to see me in person, and why is he waiting? Hooyoung’s mind filled with questions. It was like this when his salary was cut this time, and it was the same today; the loan shark had changed a bit this year. He had become strange. This couldn’t be explained by any other word than ‘strange.’ He seemed magnanimous, and also kind. But why wasn’t he happy, and why was he scared? Hooyoung thought as he took off his clothes.

“People going to Yongin today, take the bus, and people going home, go on your own!”

The professional basketball schedule was usually two or three times a week, and unless it was a back-to-back game, it was common to have a day off after a game and then return to training. Since today’s game was in Seoul, the majority of the players preferred to go straight home from work. Only players like Hooyoung, whose home was the dorm, or Hojin, who lived near the area with the clubhouse, were scheduled to take the bus.

“You worked hard today.”

“Goodbye!”

The players who had already finished showering left one by one. Hooyoung, who was slowly getting ready to shower, was only thinking about what to eat for a late dinner.

“Incheol hyung.”

As he was about to go in with a towel, underwear, and other things, Taehun, who had finished showering and changed his clothes, called out to a senior who was about to leave. With so many people going in and out of the shower room, it was impossible for Hooyoung, who was waiting, not to hear.

“Hyung, you mentioned that skill training center that Jinmok sunbaenim opened back then, right?”

“Oh yeah, he’s running it well, going back and forth to the US for training and recruiting coaches. He’s doing a lot of elite classes, and pro players are starting to flock there too. It’s a huge hit. It just goes to show that playing basketball and teaching it are two different things. But why? You have your own center you go to, don’t you.”

“I was thinking of doing one more. If I schedule it well with different places, I can do them all.”

“What’s this, why is Lee Taehun working so hard? Are you going to try out every center in Korea?”

I’m envious. Even though he was nonchalantly looking into the air, Hooyoung was so envious. Taehun was reaping the full benefits of the skill training center he had attended to build up his body while resting for rehabilitation last year. Even he could see that Taehun had improved a lot in terms of offense compared to last year. To be honest, if he had given the last shot to Taehun today, Taehun might have made it. It was just that at that moment, he was the one holding the ball, and he was confident, so he went up with it. If he had had any doubts about his own shot today, he would have naturally passed to Taehun.

“I’m going to try everything first, and then go to the US during the off-season. I thought about it last year and didn’t go, and I regret it so much.”

“Good thinking. Even Yoonsoo hyung, the last MVP, packs his bags and goes to the US as soon as the off-season starts. They say you definitely get back what you invest.”

“I know, right.”

Just as he was thinking he didn’t want to hear anymore, the shower room door opened and Hooyoung slipped inside. He thought he should go out and practice tomorrow even though it was a day off. Aja aja. Hooyoung mouthed the words without making a sound.

After showering, Hooyoung neatly packed his basketball shoes, shower supplies, and skin lotion into his backpack and came out to go to the bus. As he walked down the hallway a bit, he could see the families and acquaintances of both teams’ players standing around in small groups in the distance. From outside the building to the parking lot was a place where fans lined up to get autographs and greet the departing players, so families and acquaintances met here. There were fewer people than usual today. It seemed it was because Hooyoung came out late and many players were heading home from work today.

Should I say I’m done? Where is he waiting? Hooyoung was walking with a serious face, looking at his phone’s message window. The team manager walked over with a troubled expression.

“Bbi-bbi-ya.”

“Yes?”

“Well, he said he’s your acquaintance, so I had him wait…… He has your phone number, too.”

“Yes?”

Hooyoung’s eyes widened and he whipped his head around, and he immediately saw the loan shark in a corner, raising his hand while looking this way. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, a shirt and slacks, but perhaps because of his impression, he was somehow intimidating. It might have been because of the faint tattoos visible through his white shirt.

“……Oh, he’s an acquaintance.”

“Really?”

The manager tilted his head, then patted his shoulder as if to say he understood, and walked past. Hooyoung hesitantly approached the loan shark. I hope he doesn’t shout. I wonder if the fans outside can see us? He was full of worries.

“Hurry up and come out. What’s taking so long?”

The man’s voice was irritable, but he wasn’t really angry. He just seemed annoyed that he had to wait.

“I’m sorry. The youngest ones always have to shower last…… But, um, what brings you here……?”

Hooyoung asked cautiously.

“Hey, why are you so scared? Relax your shoulders, you punk. I came to see you because you did well. Because you did well!”

The man reached out and touched Hooyoung’s cheek, then patted it a few times and also kneaded his shoulder a couple of times. He clearly wasn’t hitting him, but Hooyoung, who was still scared, flinched every time the hand touched him. His eyes also blinked rapidly.

“Why are you so scared? Have I ever hit you?”

You may not have hit me, but you did say you’d cut off my wrist…… Hooyoung, faced with the man’s attitude that made him feel unjustly accused, rubbed the area near his pelvis with the hand he had hidden behind his back.

“The money is coming in regularly, so what is there for me to complain about? It’s a bit of a shame your salary was cut this season, but if you keep playing like you did today, it looks like it’ll double next year. Anyway, here, take this.”

The man handed over a deep red paper bag he was holding. It was a bag from a red ginseng brand that anyone in South Korea would recognize. He knew what it was, but he had no idea it was for him. Hooyoung received the large, thick bag with a dazed expression. He was scared to death, but red ginseng was a good thing, so he couldn’t refuse it right away. It was red ginseng, no less. A set this big would be an expensive one with all sorts of things, from concentrate to sliced red ginseng.

“……Are you giving this to me? Just like that?”

He had to ask if it was being given for free. What if something like this was later added to his debt or had some condition attached? He had never heard of a loan shark buying something for a debtor anywhere in the world, so he was even more wary.

“Ah, I’m giving it to you completely for free. Keep doing well, you punk.”

As if he had really only intended to give him this, the man stepped back without saying anything else.

“Take care of your health. I’ll contact you when the money comes in! I’m out!”

The man, who had come out of the building with him, patted the back of his head hard a few times and then headed straight for his own car. Hooyoung, holding the red ginseng bag, watched the man with a strangely uneasy feeling and then walked to the bus. He greeted and signed autographs for the fans here and there. Lee Hooyoung. It was a very honest signature, with only his three-syllable name engraved.

Hooyoung got on the bus, put down his bag, and held the red ginseng bag in his arms. He disliked the person who gave it, but the red ginseng itself was not at fault.

“Hyung, is it just Hojin left to come?”

“Probably? He said his friends came, so it might take a while for him to say goodbye and come.”

Wanting to get back to the dorm quickly, he was craning his neck and looking towards the building, wondering when Hojin would come out, when he saw a familiar car in the parking lot. Huh? It was the large black sedan that was always parked in front of Junwook’s house. Had he not left yet? Even though he couldn’t remember the license plate number properly, his head leaned forward more and more, thinking it might be Junwook. Is it really him? Is it really?

“Wow, that car is killer. That’s over 200 million won, right?”

But for young athletes, a flashy sports car naturally stood out more than a black sedan. The loan shark’s car sped out of the parking lot with a loud roar.

Hooyoung glanced at that car, then turned his eyes back to the sedan and checked his phone once. There was still no word from Junwook. Should I contact him first? What should I say? When did you leave? Are you sleeping in Seoul tonight? But if I send a message like that, it sounds like I’m telling him to come, to meet up for sure. Tomorrow is a day off, but… I have to practice, and training starts again the day after tomorrow.

As Hooyoung was fidgeting with his phone, the senior next to him leaned over.

“Is Bbi-bbi dating?”

“What?!”

His startled voice was so loud that everyone in the bus turned around and laughed. Feeling burdened by everyone’s eyes on him, Hooyoung quickly put his phone down. For the entire ride to the dorm, he couldn’t turn on his phone and just stared at it intently, wondering if a message would come.

The long-awaited message came around the time Hooyoung arrived at the dorm and had unpacked everything from his bag. Hooyoung, who was changing into his pajamas, was startled by the message notification sound and scrambled onto his bed. In the process, he hit his calf on the corner and had to hop on one foot a few times in pain.

[Dorm?]

It was Junwook. Hooyoung dove onto his bed and grabbed his phone.

[Yes. I just got in.]

[We arrived around the same time.]

Is he going to tell me to come over? If he does, should I just go, pretending I can’t resist? I shouldn’t overdo it. But for some reason, the desire to see him today was strong. It was the kind of feeling where you want to be praised because you did well. He was staring intently at the message window, wondering when a reply would come, and it came right away. Hooyoung shot up.

[I’m downstairs, so come down slowly.]

Downstairs? Downstairs at the dorm? Hooyoung’s eyes grew so wide they felt like they would pop out, and he scrambled to his feet with a clatter. He threw off his pajamas and went to the closet, digging through the folded clothes like a mole. This was the first time Junwook had come all the way here.

Hooyoung, who had hastily put his feet into the cleanest clothes he could find, shot out of the dorm. He was in such a hurry that he forgot his socks again, which he had been wearing diligently since the first day. When he was about halfway down in the elevator, he realized he was barefoot in slippers, but thinking about Junwook waiting downstairs, he didn’t want to go back up. He thought, to hell with it.

When he came down to the parking lot, the black sedan he had seen earlier was parked right in front of him. The license plate was the same as the one he had seen in the stadium parking lot earlier. Hooyoung, who made a mental note of the license plate number so he wouldn’t forget it next time, ran straight to the car. In his haste, he didn’t even think to knock or give a sign that he had come down.

“You scared me.”

When the door was flung open, Junwook, who had been looking at some documents with a serious face for some reason, flinched and put what he was reading back into an envelope.

“Oh, did I startle you?”

“I told you to come down slowly, why are you so fast? Like someone who was waiting for my call.”

Junwook tossed the document envelope into the back seat and spoke insinuatingly, and Hooyoung scratched the back of his neck and smiled slightly.

“And who told you to jump into the front seat like that? What would you have done if someone other than me was in the driver’s seat?”

“Ah? I didn’t think of that.”

When Hooyoung, who hadn’t considered at all that there might be a separate driver, laughed again, Junwook let out a hollow laugh and turned his body towards the passenger seat.

“Aww, this kid is so bright and cheerful, it’s a big problem.”

Junwook leaned his head back against the seat, resting completely, and then looked at Hooyoung slightly askew. He didn’t look tired, but for some reason, his atmosphere was different from when he had seen him in the locker room. Did something happen on the way here? Or was the document he was looking at something bad? Just as Hooyoung was about to turn his eyes to the back seat, Junwook’s finger came over and made him look forward again.